John Harbaugh Won’t Commit To Joe Flacco As Starter
Just when the Ravens’ season was on the line and they were on the verge of being eliminated from the playoff race, they responded with two straight wins. With Joe Flacco sidelined with a hip injury, rookie Lamar Jackson slid in as the starter and beat the Bengals and Raiders in his first two career starts. Now Ravens coach John Harbaugh isn’t ready to commit to Flacco getting his job back when he’s healthy, according to Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com.
“Whether the decision has been made or not, it’s not important for anybody to know but us. If I decide to do it one way or another, I don’t want our opponent to know. So, I’m probably not going to announce it for obvious reasons, just to make it tough for our opponent” Harbaugh was quote as saying.
If Harbaugh was going to give Flacco the job back, he probably would’ve continued to say as much, and the fact that he was so non-committal would seem to indicate he’d prefer to stick with Jackson. It would be pretty hard for Harbaugh to take it away from Jackson now, so we should probably tentatively expect to continue to see Jackson make starts.
Harbaugh isn’t in any position to play for the future, so whatever decision he makes will be the one he feels like gives the team the best chance to win. Harbaugh is on an extremely hot seat, and it was reported earlier today that Ravens players were expecting him to be fired if the team didn’t make the playoffs. Jackson has flashed electrifying talent, but has also struggled as a passer at time. They’ve won both his starts, but they’ve come against two of the worst defenses in the league. It’s possible the team will go back to Flacco as they prepare to play a much tougher slate of defenses, but it’s also looking highly possible that we’ve seen the end of the Joe Flacco-era in Baltimore.
Ravens Notes: Flacco, Suggs, Harbaugh
Quarterback Joe Flacco is expected to return to practice on Tuesday, per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Of course, first-round rookie Lamar Jackson is getting his second consecutive start today as Flacco deals with a hip injury, and if Jackson can lead Baltimore to a win over Oakland this afternoon, La Canfora suggests that he could keep the starting job even if Flacco proves that he is healthy.
Now for more out of Charm City:
- Ageless linebacker Terrell Suggs indicated back in May that 2018 would not be his last season in the league, but it is his last season under contract with the Ravens. La Canfora confirms that Suggs fully intends to continue playing, but given that the Ravens are transitioning to a new GM and are potentially parting ways with fellow stalwarts Flacco and John Harbaugh at the end of the season, it seems they will let Suggs test the market for the first time in his career. Suggs is still playing at a fairly high level and has adamantly asserted that he wants to finish his career in Baltimore, and that is certainly not out of the question in light of his continued strong performance. But other teams will finally get a crack at him first.
- Speaking of Harbaugh, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com says that the 11th-year head coach would be one of the top three candidates for the expected head coaching vacancy at USC (Twitter link). It is unclear if the Trojans — who are also interested in Penn State coach James Franklin and free agent Jack Del Rio — would wait for Harbaugh to finish his season, but if so, he could join brother Jim Harbaugh in the collegiate ranks.
- We have heard that the Ravens and John Harbaugh are headed for a parting of the ways at the end of the season, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk says that Baltimore players expect Harbaugh to be gone unless the team qualifies for the playoffs. Of course, as Florio notes, Harbaugh will immediately garner plenty of interest from other NFL clubs in need of a head coach, and, as noted above, perhaps at least one blue blood college team.
- The Ravens activated CB Maurice Canady from IR yesterday and cut offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu in a corresponding move.
Ravens Activate CB Maurice Canady
Maurice Canady will be returning from the injured reserve for the second consecutive season. Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic reports (via Twitter) that the Ravens have activated the cornerback. To make room on the roster, the team has waived offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu.
Canady, a 2016 sixth-round pick out of Virginia, has had a tough time staying healthy during his professional career. In three seasons, the 24-year-old has appeared in only 13 games, including one game this season. He suffered a knee injury during the 2017 offseason, but he was ultimately activated from the IR in early November. He proceeded to appear in eight games that season, compiling 27 tackles and one pass defended. Baltimore will surely be hoping for similar production this time around.
Canady injured his thigh in mid-September, forcing him to sit out more than two months. He’ll be joining a cornerback bench grouping that already includes Tavon Young, Marlon Humphrey, Anthony Averett, and Cyrus Jones.
After being released by the Bears in early September, Grasu subsequently caught on with the Ravens. The 27-year-old only appeared in three games during his stint with Baltimore, but he did start 12 games during his two seasons in Chicago. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the lineman could end up getting claimed on waivers by a team that needs some interior offensive linemen depth.
Ravens To Start Lamar Jackson Vs. Raiders
Quarterback Lamar Jackson will make his second career start when the Ravens face the Raiders on Sunday, coach John Harbaugh announced. Joe Flacco hasn’t practiced since injuring his hip against the Steelers on Nov. 4 and was unable to get clearance this week. 
Jackson’s first start was a success as the Ravens beat the Bengals 24-21. The Louisville product completed 13-of-19 throws for 150 yards and did serious damage on the ground with 119 yards off of 26 attempts. Jackson could have a field day against Oakland’s depleted front seven and further improve his case to be the team’s QB going forward.
Flacco, the Ravens’ starter for the past eleven seasons, could heal up in time for the Week 13 game against the Falcons, but the position could be filled by then. The rise of Jackson could lead to a difficult offseason decision for the club as Flacco is set to carry a $26.5MM cap number in 2019. The Ravens can save $10.5MM by releasing him, but they’ll be left on the hook for a whopping $16MM.
Alex Collins Misses Ravens Practice
- Both Joe Flacco and Alex Collins missed the Ravens‘ Thanksgiving practice, per Jonas Shaffer of the Baltimore Sun. Flacco has not practiced since suffering the hip injury that has him sidelined. He’s expected to miss at least one more week, giving Lamar Jackson another audition opportunity. Collins played last week but has dealt with a foot injury throughout the season, per Shaffer.
Joe Flacco Unlikely To Play In Week 12
Lamar Jackson will likely start at least one more game for the Ravens, as Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh told reporters that Joe Flacco will be hard-pressed to return from injury in Week 12, per Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic (Twitter link). Flacco has been dealing with a hip issue since Week 9, and while he’s not expected to require surgery, the veteran signal-caller did see a specialist in New York last week. Further complicating matters is Jackson’s performance in Sunday’s win over the Bengals, which vaulted Baltimore back into wild card contention. Jackson, the 32nd overall selection in this year’s draft, attempted only 19 passes against Cincinnati, but rushed 27 times for 117 yards in a 24-21 victory. Harbaugh and the rest of the Ravens’ decision-makers could opt to roll with Jackson as the club finishes out the season against the Raiders, Falcons, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Chargers, and Browns.
Joe Flacco Will Not Need Hip Surgery; Future Of Many Ravens Veterans In Doubt
It could be the dawn of a new era in Baltimore. As expected, 2018 first-round pick Lamar Jackson will get his first start under center for the Ravens today in place of an ailing Joe Flacco, as Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com writes. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Flacco is not expected to need surgery on his hip, so while his status for next week’s contest against the Raiders is up in the air, he could be ready for the stretch run. But if Jackson performs well and can keep the Ravens’ playoff hopes alive, head coach John Harbaugh — who is facing the end of his tenure in Baltimore — will have a very difficult decision to make. Jackson has reportedly shown considerable improvement in practice this week, and anticipation for his debut is running high.
- It’s not just Flacco and Harbaugh who could be seeing their Ravens careers draw to a close. As Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic writes, today’s game feels like a last stand of sorts for a number of players. If Baltimore loses, it will be all but eliminated from playoff contention, and as the team transitions to a new GM and possibly a new head coach, veterans like Flacco, Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, and Michael Crabtree could all be on their way out.
Poll: Who Will Be AFC’s No. 6 Seed?
Five AFC teams have separated from the pack and look to be moving into the playoffs. While much could change, it would be surprising to see a January without the Chiefs, Patriots, Steelers, Chargers and Texans.
But with the NFL requiring six teams to participate in each conference’s postseason bracket, this leaves an interesting race for what will probably be the AFC’s No. 6 seed. There are five five- or four-win AFCers entering Week 11. Each has between a 19 and 41 percent chance of securing a playoff berth, per Football Outsiders.
The Titans have become the leader in this pursuit, with Football Outsiders giving the resurgent team a 41 percent chance to make the playoffs. They qualified last season for the first time since 2008 and notched one of the NFL’s better wins this year in pummeling the Patriots 34-10. The Titans’ No. 16 DVOA placement is third among the AFC’s middle-class teams, but their defense leads the NFL in points allowed (16.8). After entering Week 9 with just three touchdown passes, Marcus Mariota threw two in each of Tennessee’s two November wins.
At 5-4, the Titans could knock the Texans (6-3) down into the No. 6 seed conversation as well. As could the Colts, potentially.
Andrew Luck was a frequent conversation topic while he recovered from a career-threatening injury, but now that he’s back, the former No. 1 overall pick has been delivering a borderline-dominant season off the grid. Drew Brees and Patrick Mahomes have understandably dominated the MVP discussion, but Luck’s 26 touchdown passes — at least three in six straight games — rank second in the league. The Colts (No. 15 DVOA, 18 percent playoff odds) gave off an obvious rebuilding vibe this offseason but have an outside shot at the playoffs. Their only games against winning teams down the stretch are against the Texans and five-win Titans (twice).
The AFC North’s fringe contenders have endured humbling midseason stretches. The Bengals (playoff odds: 21 percent, No. 21 DVOA) and Ravens (32 percent, No. 7 DVOA) are a combined 1-5 in their past six contests. Cincinnati’s without its best player, with A.J. Green nursing a foot injury, and Baltimore looks set to start either Lamar Jackson or Robert Griffin III against the Bengals on Sunday.
The Bengals’ opportunities against top-tier opposition could not have gone worse, with both the Chiefs and Saints posting at least 45 points, but they did play the Steelers close and at 5-4 are still firmly in contention. Baltimore’s defense ranks second in points allowed (17.8), giving the Ravens a major edge on their rivals’ 31st-ranked unit, and the Ravens played the Saints much closer than Cincy did in a one-point defeat. The Bengals have three road games left against winning teams — the Ravens, Chargers and Steelers — but the Ravens also venture to Kansas City and Los Angeles, complicating matters.
Football Outsiders gives the Dolphins a 19 percent chance at playoff qualification. Tied for the longest Super Bowl odds entering the season, Miami booking its second postseason berth in three years would be an obvious surprise. All five of the Dolphins’ losses came by double digits, and Ryan Tannehill‘s uncertain status clouds their second-half outlook. They rank outside the top 20 in DVOA offense and defense. While they do play the Bills twice in December, their Patriots rematch and a Minnesota trip also loom.
Can a long-odds team creep back into this? The Jaguars were picked by many to repeat as AFC South champs, but they’ve lost five straight. The Broncos are still ninth in DVOA, but close losses — and three combined games against the Chargers and Steelers — likely doom them. Do the Browns (3-6-1) have faint hope?
So, who is going to round out the AFC bracket? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your take in the comments section.
Lamar Jackson Expected To Start Sunday
- Although Robert Griffin III has been mentioned as a possible Ravens starter Sunday, the expectation remains Lamar Jackson will take the reins, Jeff Zreibec of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Jackson’s hospital trip Thursday, coupled with Joe Flacco‘s hip injury, left Griffin as the Ravens’ lone practice quarterback that day. But Jackson returned to practice Friday.
Joe Flacco Doubtful For Week 11
Entering a key AFC North game, the Ravens have a decision to make. They listed Joe Flacco as doubtful going into Sunday’s game against the Bengals, putting the team to a probable Lamar Jackson-or-Robert Griffin III choice.
Flacco’s been dealing with a hip injury since Baltimore’s Week 9 loss to Pittsburgh. The veteran quarterback was spotted on crutches last week and has not practiced this week. Jackson didn’t practice on Thursday because of an illness, and a “legitimate possibility” exists of an RG3 start, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com notes (video link). Jackson did return to practice Friday.
John Harbaugh said Friday his starter may still play, but not practicing all week is not a good indication that will happen, Flacco’s toughness notwithstanding.
The Ravens have wanted to get Jackson involved more. Regardless of Flacco’s Sunday status, Jackson will play more. Not knowing how much obviously will make game-planning difficult for the Bengals in advance of this pivotal matchup. Griffin outplayed Jackson, viewed as a raw passer coming into the draft, during the preseason.
Griffin, though, has not played since the 2016 season. As Jackson’s been used sparingly in certain packages, Griffin’s represented roster depth. That hasn’t been needed in Baltimore since Flacco tore his ACL in 2015. The 11-year starter battled a back injury last season but did not miss any time as a result.
Griffin started five games for the 2016 Browns, being the first-unit passer in that team’s only win. Out of football last season and benched throughout 2015 in order to protect the Redskins against a potential fifth-year option vesting, Griffin’s thrown just five touchdown passes since the end of the 2013 season.